Calculating Your Macros In 4 Steps

Since it’s Monday, and we here at Fitness Viking like to deal with nutrition on Mondays, we’re going to show you how to calculate the amount of macros you need to cut, or in other words, how much protein you need to get jacked.

1. Determine the calories

Before you do anything, you need to find out how many calories you need each day. Although there exists an insanely complicated calculation to determine the exact number of calories, you’d need your local math professor to help you, and you don’t exactly need it to be 100% accurate. Measure your bodyweight in pounds and multiply it by 11 to 14. Check the list below and be sure to multiply honestly – it’s for your own good and you won’t achieve anything if you lie.

11 if you have a sedentary job and don’t really exercise at all.

12 if you have a somewhat active job or a sedentary job but train occasionally.

13 if you have an active job and train occasionally, or have a sedentary job and train intensely.

14 if you have both an active job and an intense training regime.

2. Determine the proteins

This one’s pretty simple. All you need to do is translate your bodyweight in pounds into grams of protein you’ll be eating per day. If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 150 grams of protein per day. That’s it.

3. Determine the fat

Basically, you need between about 0.3 and 0.6 grams of fat per pound, and this is based mostly on your personal preference. Don’t go more than 0.6 and less than 0.3, and if you’re unsure on which number to pick, ask yourself what type of food you like the most. If you like fattier foods, take 0.6; if you like lighter meals, take 0.3

4. Determine the carbs

Get your calculator, you’ll most probably need it (unless you actually asked that math professor to come over). Take your daily protein intake and multiply it by 4, since there are 4 calories in a gram of protein. Multiply your fat intake in grams by 9 – this gives you fat calories. Add these two numbers together, and subtract the result from the total number of calories you’re going for each day.

This will tell you how many calories you need from carbs every day. Divide this number by 4, and that’s how many carbs you’ll need each day. That’s it, you’re done! Or, more likely, you’re ready to begin.